Starting apparatus for pleasure-railways.



v v v J. A, MILLER. STARTING APPARATUS FOR PLEASURE RAILWAYS.

' APPLICATION 211.21) 1123.19, 1910.

979,875.. Patented Dec; 27, 1910.

JOHN A. MILLER, OF HOMEWOOD, ILLINOIS.

STARTING APPARATUS FOR PLEASURE-RAILWAYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 27, 1910.

Application filed April 19, 1910. Serial No. 556,383.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. MILLER, of I-Iomewood, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starting Apparatus for Pleasure-Railways, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in pleasure railways, and pertains more particularly to apparatus for starting the cars upon their travel over the circuitous and inclined tracks usually employed on railways of this character.

The invention has for its object the production of improved means independent of the cars for gradually and automatically getting the latter under way.

A further object is to provide means for imparting vibrations to the body of the car in imitation of the vibrations imparted to a motor vehicle by the engine when the vehicle is temporarily at rest.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan View illustrating a portion of the track of a pleasure railway, with my improved starting apparatus applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 4 is a detail View illustrating one of the supports.

Referring to the drawing, it will be noted that I have illustrated two tracks 10, 11 arranged parallel with each other in the manner described and claimed in Letters Patent Number 937 ,456, granted to me October 19, 1909. The present invention, however, is not limited to a double track arrangement, as it is obvious that the same is equally applicable to a single track.

Located between the rails of each track are supports 12 provided with arms 13 in which are journaled sheaves or pulleys 14, said supports and arms being preferably constructed of timbers or other suitable material possessing a certain amount of resiliency for a purpose hereinafter referred to. The pulleys 14 are preferably located adjacent one rail of the track and serve to support an endless flexible belt 15 the tension of which is controlled by means of a tension pulley 16 Motion is imparted to the belt 15 by means of the pulley 16 mounted on a counter shaft 17 which is rotated by a driving pulley 18 loosely mounted on said counter shaft and connected by a belt 19 ,with a pulley 20 secured upon the power shaft 21. A suitable clutch 22 is mounted on the counter shaft 17 and serves to connect pulley 18 with the power, when desired, whereby the counter shaft is rotated at will.

Any usual or preferred form of car may be used upon the tracks, and I have accordingly illustrated a car conventionally as indicated at 23. The said car is provided with a truck 24 and a plurality of wheels 25 arranged in line and so positioned as to engage the belt 15 with considerable pressure as the car passes over the latter.

In practice, when it is desired to impart the initial movement to the car, the clutch .22 is operated to connect the counter shaft 17 with the power, thus setting the belt in motion through the medium of pulley 16. The tracks of a pleasure railway at the loading point are usually level or provided with a slight downward grade from this point. Hence very little power is required to start the car moving. As the wheels 25 engage the belt 15 with considerable pressure, the friction of such pressure against the bearings of said wheels provides suflicient resistance to cause the car to gradually move forward. At the same time the supports 12 being free at their upper ends are, together with arms 13 caused to vibrate by reason of the frictional engagement between the belt 15 and wheels 25, the vibrations being effected because of the resiliency of said arms and supports. These vibrations have a semblance to the vibrations of a motor vehicle when at rest but with the engine still operating.

It is obvious that the belt 15 may operate in either direction, but for convenience in installing, the driving mechanism is arranged adjacent the power plant installed to elevate the cars to the highest point of the incline of the railway. The belt is therefore usually driven in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 2, and the friction on wheels 25 being such as to practically prevent rotation, will cause the car to travel in the same direction, such slip as may take place between the wheels and their bearings serving to add to the vibratory efi'ect above mentioned.

I claim as my invention.

1. A starting apparatus of the character described comprising a flexible belt constructed to have one surface frictionally. engage a vehicle to impart movement to the latter said belt being free to move relatively gage a vehicle to impart movement to the latter, said belt being free to move relatively to the vehicle during'the movement of the latter and means for imparting movement to said belt.

3. A starting apparatus of the character described comprising a flexible belt constructed to have one surface frictionally engage a vehicle to impart movement to the latter, said belt being free to move relatively to the vehicle during the movement of" the latter a power shaft for driving said belt, and means for connecting said belt with the power at will.

4. A starting apparatus of the character described comprising a support, sheaves mounted therein, and an endless flexible belt carried by said sheaves and constructed to have one surface frictionally engage a vehicle to impart movement to the latter said belt being free to move relatively to the vehicle during the movement of the latter.

5. A starting apparatus of the character described comprising a vibratile support, and a flexible belt carried by said support and constructed to engage a vehicle to impart movement to the latter.

6. A starting apparatus of the character described comprising a vibratile support, and a flexible belt carried by said support and constructed to engage a vehicle to impart movement to the latter, and means for imparting movement to said belt.

7. A starting apparatus of the character described comprising a vibratile support, and a flexible belt carried by said support and constructed to engage a vehicle to impart movement to the latter, a power shaft for driving said belt, and means for connecting said belt with the power at will- 8. The combination with a car provided "with one or more rotatable members, of a flexible belt constructed to have one surface frictionally engage said rotatable members to impart movement to said car said belt being free to move relatively to the car during the movement of the latter.

9. The combination with a car provided with one or more rotatable members of a flexible belt constructed to have one surface frictionally engage said rotatable members to impart movement to said car, said belt being free to move relatively to the car during the movement of the latter and means for imparting movement to said belt.

10. The combination with a car provided with one or more rotatable members, of a vibratile support, and a flexible belt carried by said support and constructed to have one surface frictionally engage said rotatable members to impart movement to said car said belt being free to move relatively to the car during the movement of the latter.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN A. MILLER. Witnesses:

CHAS. L. ALEXANDER, FREDERICK INGERSOLL. 

